Don't Leave Me
by Fallen Heart
Summary: He was ready to let her go, but is she ready to let go of him? Trory [set in season 6]


**Don't Leave Me**

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Gilmore Girls series, it's all made out of entertainment!

Set: Season 6 – nothing except the first episode has happened. Or it includes some spoilers, but it doesn't stick to anyone.

Summary: He was letting her go, but was she ready to let go of him? Trory

--

Rory was sitting in her car, with her face wet from tears. Why was she here? Why did she always end up here when she needed somebody to talk to? She owed him so much for being there for her so many times. Tristan would be gone in a matter of days and there was nothing she could do to change his mind. No matter how many times she tried to convince him to stay, it never worked out. Everything was okay when Logan was still in Europe, but as soon as he got back, Tristan started to avoid her. He seemed to be uncomfortable in her presence, and she couldn't help but think of what she had done wrong. She never hid things from him. He was the first person she called after she found about her mother's engagement to Luke months ago.

When she saw him helping one of the younger teenagers at her community service, her feelings towards him changed. She could see the real him for once. Something she hadn't been able to do at Chilton. He wasn't the annoying and ego-centric guy he used to be. Instead she found him to be a person she could really talk to. He never judged her for the mistakes she had made in the last years. He just stood by her.

Tristan was the one to get her to talk to her mom again. He got her to face her problems and fears, which helped her find her way back into her life in Stars Hollow. She belonged there, not in Hartford. She was actually going back to Yale next semester, with a lot of convincing from her family and friends.

--

Suddenly she noticed a familiar blonde walking toward her car and she was starting to feel so stupid for parking right outside the house in the first place. Of course, he would see her.

Tristan silently knocked on the front door's window and Rory was quick to open up her door. She had no idea what to expect from him though.

"Rory, what is going on? What are you doing here?"

"I didn't know where else to go," Rory paused. "I shouldn't have come!"

When she was about to close the door, Tristan stopped her. "Don't you dare! You're always welcomed here, even when I'm not around!"

He reached out his hand and she accepted it with a weak smile. He led the way toward his grandparents' house and she was following his every move. Even if she had been at the house before, it always surprised her. His grandparents had welcomed her with open arms, which was a relief. After meeting Logan's parents – she never knew what to expect with people from Hartford.

It didn't take them long before they reached Tristan's room. Everything looked the same, except some of his things were already put in boxes. He sat down on his bed quietly, like he didn't want to disturb the silence between them. Rory joined him shortly afterwards, letting her hands rest in her lap.

"So, can you tell me what is going on now?" The question had been hanging in the air ever since he asked her the same question outside. She didn't feel like telling him about it, but knew that she had to tell somebody.

"I broke up with Logan today. We got into this huge argument and he broke up with me," Rory explained with a voice as low as a whisper. She looked down at her hands, too afraid to see Tristan's expression if she met his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Rory. I know how much Logan means to you. Are you sure it's over for good?" Tristan responded gently and wanted nothing more than to take away some of her pain.

"Yes, it's really over. I guess some things aren't meant to be?"

As the tears were starting to form in her eyes, Tristan couldn't help but to want to do serious harm to Logan for putting her into this situation. The same thoughts he had about Dean when Rory told him about their break up so long ago. Why did she always end up with guys who ultimately hurt her?

"I guess not, but if it makes you feel any better – it'll get better with time."

Rory nodded at his statement. It was true; she would eventually get over it. But it didn't help her from feeling as empty as she did right this moment. It didn't take long before tears were falling down her cheeks, and she took comfort in Tristan's arms.

He held her tight to his body, letting her use him as her shoulder to cry on. Whenever he thought of Rory and his feelings for her, he found it to be even more pathetic each time. He loved her and she would probably never feel the same way. To her, all he was were her friend in her time of need and he could do nothing to change the situation except for facing the truth.

She didn't even know of the real reason behind his decision to leave Hartford so suddenly. It was all about his feelings about her, how they tortured him whenever he was near her. He hoped that if he left, his feelings would eventually just go away and he would be able to be her real friend!

Rory dried her face the best she could with help from her arm's sleeve. It wasn't very effective, but she knew better than to think that Tristan cared about the way she looked in a situation like this one.

"Thank you, Tristan."

"For what?"

"For always being there for me," Rory pulled him into a hug, just letting him hold her was the biggest comfort she could accomplish with.

After she let go of him, she did the strangest thing and acted on impulse. She kissed him softly on the lips, certainly not something she had planned on doing. The kiss turned up a notch within a minute, with two tongues colliding in desperation of longing for one another.

It was only when Rory's mind started functioning again when realized what exactly she was doing; and with whom. She pulled herself out of his hold and stood up.

"What was that?" Rory whispered quietly, shaking her head in the process in her shocked state. She couldn't completely understand why she kissed him. But she couldn't say it was a mistake either because deep down she knew that she had longed to make the move - to feel his lips against hers in a wish for comfort.

Her fingertips moved against the same spot where Tristan's lips just had been, wanting nothing more than to have them against hers again. That thought scared her more than anything!

"I have no idea," The honest response from Tristan made her feel even more confused. "But whatever it was, I'm not sure it happened for the right reasons. I'm leaving in two days, Ror!"

"I know," Rory confirmed sadly, she really didn't want him to leave her. Even less now when she was starting to understand how deep for him her feelings really went.

Tristan held his gaze on her, afraid that if he blinked even more a second, she would be gone. It was probably better that way but he didn't want to lose hope. Maybe Rory did have feelings for him after all?

"I need to go," Rory stated, suprising both herself and Tristan.

"Will I see you before I go?"

"I don't know, I really don't know!" Rory said before disappearing through the opened door. She needed some time to think her actions through. Everything seemed to be like such a mess. The whole day had been upside down, but she didn't regret her actions. Her feelings toward Tristan were all mixed up. Was he just her friend or something more? If he meant more, how could she convince him to stay in Hartford?

--

After Rory had gone, Tristan couldn't help but think back on the kiss they shared. It felt so good to have her in his arms. That single kiss would be burned into his memory forever. He couldn't expect her to make a choice about them within a minute's thought. That wasn't fair to her, he knew that. Her decision had the power to change everything between them, but he just couldn't push her. He knew that he needed to stick to schedule no matter what her decision might be, so he started to pack more of his things in boxes to get his mind off of her.

--

**TWO DAYS LATER**

Lane and Rory had been talking about everything that had happened in Rory's life in the last hour. Rory knew that she needed her friend's advice badly. Tristan was leaving in a couple of hours and without Lane's help, she had no idea what to do.

"So, if I got this right, you're in love with this Tristan guy?" Lane stated with a look of confusion on her face.

"No! Or I don't know, this whole thing is so messed up. One minute I'm crying over Logan, then the next I'm kissing Tristan. Does that make any sense to you? Because it sure doesn't to me," Rory cried out in frustration, feeling quite angry with herself for not understanding her own actions.

"It seems to me like you really care about him, Rory. If I were you, I would try anything to get him to stay! But I'm not you and I can't make the decision for you," Lane advised her friend, she knew that it wasn't exactly what Rory was looking for but it was the best advice she could give her. "I'm not much help, am I?"

"Not really, but it's okay anyway. You helped me to convince myself that I was making the right the decision. All I can hope for now is that he won't turn me down," Rory said truthfully. She knew that she would have to tell Tristan about her feelings tonight or else she would risk losing him forever, something she wasn't ready to do!

--

Tristan couldn't help but to look over his shoulder from time to time. He was acting foolishly. Rory wouldn't show up. Her mind was set about the future and obviously he wasn't in it. It hurt him to think like that but it made him even more set in his decision to leave. That meant leaving everything and everyone in Hartford behind.

"Do you have everything with you?" Evelyn asked him once again. It was obvious how much his grandmother cared about him.

"Yes, I've got everything!" Tristan sighed, and gave a hug to both of his grandparents. They were two of the few people he'd end up missing. There had never been a time when they hadn't been at his side, even when he was fighting with his father. He hadn't paid his parents a visit for over a year, he was used to making up excuses by now. He didn't need or want them to be a part of his life because every time he did see his father, it usually ended badly.

"Take care of yourself now!" Janlan said firmly, like a worried grandfather would say.

"I promise, grandpa!"

"There is nothing we can do to change your mind about leaving us?" Evelyn questioned yet again. She didn't want her only grandson to leave.

"No, I've told you that already. I need to get away from Hartford for a while. Nothing can make me change my decision!" Tristan responded with a voice full of sadness.

"Not even me?"

The familiar female voice suprised him to no end. He had given up all hope about her getting there long ago. He had actually accepted it.

"Rory?"

"I can't let you leave. You mean too much to me, Tristan." Rory tried her best to explain her feelings but it didn't come out the way she wanted it to. She could see a bit of hesitation in his eyes but her words wasn't enough.

"You mean a lot to me too, but I still need to leave!"

"Why?"

"Why does it matter, Rory? The truth will only cause more harm than good," Tristan said bitterly, not letting Rory get to him. He was sure that if he did, she would convince him to stay for all the wrong reasons.

"Because I'm asking you to give us a chance! I'm in love with you, Tristan. That's why I kissed you two days ago. It wasn't a mistake," Rory explained in frustration. Why couldn't he just listen to her? But by the looks of it, he was finally doing just that.

"What?"

"I'm in love with you," Rory whispered the words once again, walking towards him in the process. He must have had the same thought as her, as he met her half way with a kiss full of emotions. A kiss meaning much more than words could say.

"I love you too, Ror. I was afraid you didn't feel anything about me; that's the reason behind my decision to leave Hartford. I know that I wouldn't be able to pretend to be your friend much longer," Tristan mumbled in between kisses.

She rested her forehead against his, looking directly into his eyes. She hoped that her actions somehow showed him how much she wanted him to stay. He needed to if he wanted them to work out.

"You really want me to stay, don't you?"

"Yes,"

He kissed her lightly before pulling her into a loving hug. He held her for quite some time before he gave into her, and whispered into her ear what she wanted to hear.

"What wouldn't I do for you?"

**THE END**


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